I have a long way to go when it comes to digital minimalism. I tried to find a couple of photos for this blog, only to discover they hadn't transferred from my phone to my laptop because the poor laptop was so clogged with the accumulated junk of the past few years that it had no storage left. I have just spent 20 minutes deleting files, and still have a very long way to go. And there was I naively thinking that I stored most things in the cloud. Apparently not.
On Sunday afternoon we had our first indoor band rehearsal since March. As we are now a registered charity we are allowed to run rehearsals for more than the normal limit of six people, so long as everything is properly risk assessed and we follow Covid-safe guidelines. This means we have to be spaced at least 2 metres apart, keep doors and windows open for ventilation (layers and warm clothing are needed!), have bell covers on our instruments, and wear masks when not playing. Fortunately we have been able to hire a school hall which gives us space for up to 30 people, where our normal rather cramped rehearsal venue would only take about six. The rules seem to be constantly changing, but it works for now and feels safe and well managed.
As the days get shorter and life gets busier it has got harder to fit in our 3 mile walks and we have tended to cut them shorter and stay closer to home. The colder, wetter weather doesn't help either. There is a 2 mile route round our local woodland that is our current default walk. I noticed today that a new signpost has appeared, that I'm sure wasn't there a few days ago. It was also much muddier today that it has been for a while, thanks to all the recent rain. Hard to believe that just a week ago it was hot enough to lie in the hammock in the garden wearing light summer clothes.
With TG back at school and dancing four evenings a week we have four car journeys each day to drop her off or collect her. None are long journeys, but it means we have to live by the clock much more than we have done over the past six months. Her friend's mum used to take her in the morning and we used to bring both girls home, but now car sharing is discouraged so I have taken on the morning school run. This is a good thing as it makes sure I get up, showered and dressed nice and promptly in the mornings - I am not a morning person so having a deadline forces me to get moving. Even though the local schools are all staggering start and finish times, the traffic is as bad as ever in the morning and last week seemed to be worse each day. This week I am trying a different route, which is longer in miles but when we tested it on Monday was quicker as it circles round the town and avoids all the traffic. It also means TG gets dropped at the school entrance, rather than a few minutes walk away. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she goes in earlier as she is doing "early morning French" as an extra subject. The school allows students to take GCSE French as an additional option if they are prepared to get to school for 7.55 instead of 8.45 twice a week for extra lessons. It is very much to the credit of both the school and the modern languages department that they have over 50 students in TG's year who take up this opportunity. At least the early start means we get a nice clear run through town before the traffic starts to clog up.
No comments:
Post a Comment